


A Taste of Midnight

by suckstobeme



Series: A Taste of Midnight [1]
Category: Biker Mice From Mars
Genre: A Spanner is a Wrench I'm English, Charley Has a Goddaughter, Don't Trust My Romanian, Elementals Fire Starter Teleporting, Empath, F/M, Trust Issues, Twins, Vampire Courts are like a Witches Coven, Vampires, traitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:19:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2832935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suckstobeme/pseuds/suckstobeme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vampire visits The Last Chance Garage to try and recruit Charley's goddaughter but she isn't the only one looking for the girl. Two Courts collide in a fight for survival and the boys from Mars are stuck in the middle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reunion

Midnight had always lived alone in the shadows. It was easier that way, with nobody to worry about and nobody to protect she could come and go as she pleased. Which was exactly what she had been doing untill about 30 years ago when her Court had finally tracked her down. Midnight had just moved to Chicago, the crumbling buildings and half demolished sites appealed to the gothic side of her nature. Unfortunately, the Liderul of her Court knew that too.  
Midnight had pulled up outside her building, leaving the black bike on the street. Everything had seemed normal untill she had stepped inside her apartment, she closed the door and scanned the living room but nothing seemed out of place.  
“Who’s here?” Midnight’s voice was a low growl, she hated when people invaded her space. A board creaked in the bedroom and, with a movement too fast to be seen by the naked eye, Midnight crossed the room and slammed on the bedroom light. Nothing.  
“You’re getting old, Unul Mic.” Midnight spun round, a small smile appeared on her lips but vanished just as quickly. The patriarch of her Court was lounging in one of the few chairs in the room. Riordan was tall and muscular; his silver hair was tied half up in a golden pin while the rest hung down his back. He always looked as if he were heading for a funeral, which he usually was, but the black suit and blood red waistcoat seemed to scream death.  
“There was a time nobody could sneak up on you. You’ve been around humans for too long” he said, unfolding his legs and standing up. Midnight removed her own leather duster and hung it from a hook on the wall; she folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.  
“Did you need something, Fratele?” Riordan sighed, the old term of endearment seeming to fall flat after all these years. He stared at her for a moment before a small movement of his hand bought another figure gliding from the shadows. Midnight’s golden eyes closed to dangerous slits as the familiar form of Drake moved across to her.  
Drake had made no attempt to integrate with the rest of the Court. He was only 89, but that was no excuse for the jeans and black t shirt. His jet black hair hung over one eye, something Midnight just didn’t trust. She never believed a word anyone told her unless she could look them in the eye while they said it. Both eyes.  
Drake held out a folder. Midnight snarled and snatched it from him, turning back to Riordan.  
“I thought I made myself clear, Fratele. I am not your Calaul anymore. Send Drake, he looks like he needs the practice” said Midnight; this last was said with a smirk. Drake’s eyes turned black, he bared his fangs and hissed. Riordan sighed and gripped Midnight’s arm in a vice, after 623 years he knew how to hold her down.  
“This isn’t someone I want killed. I want this girl in our Court. She’s an empath and could be invaluable seeking out . . . Tradator’s.” Midnight gaped; The Blackwing Court was the oldest in the world. Every member handpicked by Riordan and the Liderul’s before him. Surely there could be no traitor. Midnight took a deep breath. She didn’t want to do this but she was still a member of Riordan’s Court and it wasn’t her place to refuse a personal request.  
“What if she doesn’t want to turn, do I kill her then?” asked Midnight, she opened the folder and raised her eyebrow again. The girl in the photo looked like a typical vampire wannabe. Black hair that fell almost to her waist, a crisp white blouse and black skirt and dolly shoes. Her bright green eyes smiled out from the photo as she played with a strand of her hair. Midnight raised her other eyebrow in what Riordan assumed to be shock, it wasn’t an expression he had seen very often on his Unul Mic’s face.  
“I see you spotted the . . . Others.” Midnight looked up at him, she squeezed her eyes shut and looked down at the photo again. Standing behind the Wannabe was another woman, she too had green eyes but her hair was auburn. She wore a denim shirt and black jeans and was waving at the camera with a spanner in her left hand. But that wasn’t what drew Midnight’s eye. Behind and to one side of the two women were four mice. Four, giant mice to be precise.  
“What . . . Who . . . How . . .?” stammered Midnight. Riordan uttered a sharp little laugh, he flicked the folder closed and met Midnight’s golden gaze with his own deep brown eyes.  
“Just watch the girl. She needs protecting and if you can win her trust, we can bring her to the Court. If not, well, we’ll throw ourselves into that grave when we come to it.” Midnight’s smile flashed out again before vanishing as if it had never been. She crossed the room, pointedly ignoring Drake and placed the file on the empty chair.  
“I’ll head out tomorrow, Fratele. It’s only three hours till dawn and I have a feeling I’m going to need all the rest I can get with this one. Where is she?” Drake followed Riordan to the door, they turned back.  
“She’s staying with her Godmother. It’s called The Last Chance Garage.”


	2. Awkward Introductions

Genevieve Palk scraped her black hair back from her face and viciously tied a band around it. She wiped the sweat from her brow and glared at the young Martian opposite her. Rimfire grinned and spun the basketball on one finger before using his tail to dribble the ball towards her. Gen stood her ground untill Rimfire made a break to the right, she followed him and drove her shoulder into his stomach. He gasped and almost crumpled to the concrete; Gen laughed and grabbed the ball. She ran across the court and threw it at the net, the ball sailed through the air. It fell towards the hoop and Gen was about to give a victory whoop when the ball lodged between the hoop and the back board.  
“Ah crap” she huffed.  
“That’s what you get for using illegal moves. No shoving” said Rimfire, playfully nudging her shoulder. Gen laughed as Rimfire used his tail to haul himself up to the hoop and free the ball. He tossed it to her but she missed, jogging to catch up with it she noticed a familiar shape lurking in the shadows across the streets.   
“Gen? You playing?” Rimfire’s voice seemed to come from so far away, she could feel the empath in her wanting to reach out to the shape and discover it’s intensions but she refused to give in to her curse. Whoever was over there could go swing for all she cared, but they had definitely been following her. Gen didn’t need any special abilities to tell her that this was the same creep that had been opposite the garage this morning, or standing just out of sight when she had left Quigley Field with Rimfire. Now here they were again.  
“Gen? You okay?” She looked up at Rimfire and swallowed, after a moment’s indecision she pushed the ball at him and strode across the street towards the indistinct shape. She stepped off the curb and let out a yell as three sets of brakes squealed.  
“Whoa there sweetheart! You’re gonna end up as street pizza if you do that!” Gen took a deep breath and tried to still her thundering heart as she stared at the white mouse on the red bike, she hadn’t even checked the traffic before crossing! Rimfire was suddenly at her side, scanning the shadows across the street.  
“Uncle Modo, someone’s been following us since we left the scoreboard. They were standing over there.” He pointed towards the alleyway opposite, the giant grey Martian mouse climbed off his bike and stalked towards the opening. His good right eye glowed red as he checked behind garbage cans for signs of anyone hiding. Modo turned and shrugged at his nephew.  
“There’s no one there now. You sure you saw someone?” asked the tan mouse on the black bike, he lowered his field specs and looked at Gen with bionic red eyes.  
“I know I saw someone. I felt them; they were at the garage and at Quigley Field too. I wanna go home now. Please” she said. Gen was suddenly cold despite the heat of the day; Rimfire slipped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed before climbing onto the back of Modo’s bike.  
Midnight watched from the fire escape of the building opposite the basketball court as the scene unfolded before her. The girl knew she was there, that much was obvious. Which meant Riordan was right about her being an empath, Midnight sighed. She’d almost been hoping her Fratele was wrong about this one. The girl was gifted. To sense Midnight from that distance she had to be. Normally, Midnight could stand right behind someone and they wouldn’t know it untill they were lying on the floor with their life’s blood flowing away.   
The four mice mounted their bikes and headed off; Midnight guessed they were headed for the garage. If she cut across the roof tops, she could get there before them. But first, it was time to top up the sun cream or she’d have some serious tan lines. Midnight pulled a bottle from her pocket and sprayed it across any exposed flesh; the cooling effect was immediate and soothing. She slipped it back in her pocket and took a running jump to the next building, raising her arms for more lift. Midnight landed on her feet and continued to run, bounding from building to building untill she reached The Last Chance Garage. Midnight stepped off the edge of the building and landed in yet another alley. She peered around the corner and raised her eyebrow. Four mice and two humans stood in the opening to the garage and they were all waving at her. Well shit.  
Gen gripped Charley’s hand as the woman emerged from the shadows. Rimfire had spotted her dropping from the building just as they arrived back at the garage. Throttle, Vinnie and Modo gaped at the shapely figure approaching them. She looked as if she were heading off to be ringmaster in a circus. A long, leather duster flapped about her feet as she walked, her tight black trousers and red top were a shiny PVC material and her hands were clad in black gloves. Her knee boots had heels so high it was a miracle she could move, let alone walk. Her hair was white blonde and cut into a sharp bob with two electric blue streaks that framed her face. Gen swallowed as the woman stopped just a few inches in front of her.  
Midnight stared down at the human girl; the smell of fear was so strong that Midnight had to physically control herself from sinking her fangs into the girl’s neck. There was a beat of silence before the older woman spoke.  
“Who are you?” asked Charley. Midnight remained silent, she didn’t answer to any of these mortals. There was another beat of silence before the white mouse spoke up.  
“You gonna answer the lady or are ya just deaf?” snapped Vinnie. Gen swallowed, unable to tear her green eyes from the newcomers golden gaze. The iris’ seemed to swirl and dance around the pupil. Throttle stared at the PVC clad stranger and then at Gen, he suddenly figured out what needed to be done. He placed a hand on Gen’s shoulder.  
“I think she’s here for you, kid. You try asking her.” Gen swallowed again, her throat suddenly dry.  
“Who are you?” croaked Gen. The stranger’s answer was immediate and weird, her voice low and almost as husky as Throttle’s.  
“My name is Midnight. I am the Calaul of The Blackwing Court and I am here to protect you.”  
A few minutes of silence followed, Gen glanced back at Throttle but he just shrugged. Charley squeezed her hand again but Gen didn’t know which part of that sentence to question first. Luckily, Vinnie had never been shy about asking questions.  
“What’s a Calaul?” Midnight just stood staring at Gen untill the raven haired girl suddenly became angry at this entire crazy situation.  
“You answered my question, you can answer theirs too!” Midnight inclined her head slightly and turned to face the white mouse, at any other time she might have tried biting him just for fun. He was just her type, tall and heavily muscled with bandoleers that crossed his chest and half his face covered with a metal mask.  
“Roughly translated, a Calual is an executioner.” Gen gasped and stepped back, the huge grey mouse suddenly stepped forward and Midnight found herself face to face with a glowing red eye. Or rather, face to chest plate as he was well over two feet taller than her.   
“We don’t execute children around here, m’am.” His voice was little more than a growl but Midnight still sensed the hesitation in him, this one didn’t like fighting women. Well, Midnight had no trouble putting the odd man through a wall even if that man was a mouse.  
“I didn’t say I was going to execute Genevieve. I said I am the executioner, I believe it is the norm these days for people to have jobs?” asked Midnight, she quirked her eyebrow and stepped around him. The tan mouse with the leather vest and green field specs stepped between Midnight and the human girl.  
“You’re from a court? Like a law court?” he asked, keeping his voice level. Midnight would have smiled had she remembered how.  
“Not exactly. My Court is like a human family or a witches’ coven or a werewolf’s pack – “  
“Wait, a human’s family? Aren’t you human then?” interrupted Gen. Midnight turned her gaze back to the girl, her eyes suddenly glowed yellow and long fangs sprouted from the canines in her mouth.  
“What do you think?”  
“Oh my God! You’re a . . . a . . .”  
“You can’t be a vampire!” cried Charley. “You’re out in the daylight!” Midnight reached into the pocket of her duster and held up a spray can.  
“Sun cream. Factor 6000 of course” she explained with a fleeting shadow that tried to be a smile. The mice and the women just stared at her; it was the young mouse with the orange streak in his hair that spoke first.  
“You said you were here to protect Gen. Why and who from?” asked Rimfire. Midnight raised her eyebrow again and allowed her fangs to recede, her eyes faded from a bright yellow to a swirling gold.  
“The Blackwing Court is the oldest in existence, dating back to just this side of forever. Our ancestors moved to Romania centuries ago which, if I’m honest, is probably where all the vampires in Transylvania stories came from. Each vampire was recruited because they had a special gift or talent that would prove useful to the Court. The current Liderul, or Leader to you, is Riordan. He’s a telepath and over 600 years old. I was recruited because I’m an Elemental which means I can control and manipulate the five forces of nature. I am also one of the few trusted with the Ales Unul” explained Midnight, she noticed the white mouse opening his mouth again and decided to try and stop using the Romanian.  
“Chosen One. Genevieve is the first human to be chosen by Riordan for over a century, you should be honoured. We don’t invite just anyone to join The Blackwing Court.” The girl stared, wide eyed, for a moment before asking in a trembling voice.  
“You want me to be a vampire?” Midnight’s eyebrow rose again, the girl’s voice was full of incredulity but her eyes, well, they told a different story. The older woman suddenly yanked the girl backwards and shoved a finger in Midnight’s chest.  
“Nobody is turning my goddaughter into anything! I’ll kill you if you try!” Midnight stood her ground, keeping her voice level and as light as possible.  
“Genevieve is 16. The Book of Vampir states that we cannot bring anyone into a Court untill they are 18; they must have at least had a chance at a normal life before they make the decision. I cannot force her” explained Midnight. The white mouse wrapped his arm around the woman’s waist and pulled her back, his hand lingering on her waist a fraction too long for it to be just a friendly gesture. Midnight’s eyebrow rose again but she said nothing. The big grey mouse rubbed his metal hand across the back of his neck and sighed.  
“Well, I guess we can cut you a break, m’am. I’m Modo, by the way. That’s Throttle and the guy with the big mouth is Vinnie.” Vinnie looked annoyed.  
“Oh man! I didn’t even say anything!” Charley and Rimfire gave a small wave when Modo introduced them, Midnight nodded to each one but she guessed the q and a session wasn’t over yet. Throttle seemed to have something on his mind.  
“You said you were here to protect Gen. Protect her from what?” Midnight’s gaze flicked over his shoulder for a second before coming back to his face. She lifted her chin towards the entrance of The Last Chance Garage.  
“Them, for a start.” Throttle turned and blinked, not quite sure what he was seeing. Emerging from the shadows of the garage were four beings, they were about 3 feet tall with pointed ears and long noses. Their skin was a bright red and they carried axes in their gnarled little hands.   
Midnight watched, amused as Vinnie levelled a weapon at them, Throttle’s hand suddenly glowed green and a small laser popped out of Modo’s arm. She turned towards Gen and grabbed her wrist, dragging the girl across the street with Charley and Rimfire in tow. The sound of laser fire followed them but Midnight didn’t look back, she released the girl before slipping off her duster and handing it to Rimfire.  
“Do not lose that, baiatul” she said. Rimfire nodded and watched as Midnight strode back across the street towards the brawl, she sighed.  
“Time to earn my keep” she muttered and waded into battle for the first time in almost 200 years.


	3. Goblins Aren't Green?

Throttle flew backwards as the red creature drove its head into his stomach, he landed hard and raised an arm to ward off the attack but it didn’t come. He lowered his arm and gaped as Midnight lifted the thing from his body with one hand before using the other to rip its arm off. Black gunk splashed from the wound and splattered the concrete.  
“What the Hell?” cried Throttle; he jumped to his feet as Midnight threw the shrieking red thing against the wall. She sauntered across the garage and wrenched the nearest creature from Vinnie’s back, the white mouse yelped as its claws dragged across his shoulders.  
“Heads up, Big Guy!” cried Midnight, she drew back her arm and launched the wriggling thing into the air. Modo spun around and fired at it like a clay pigeon, it exploded, raining black and red chunks down on them. The last creature was trying to sneak away but Throttle yanked it back and pinned it against the wall.  
“What are those things?” said Charley; she stood in the fading daylight with Gen and Rimfire. Midnight took her coat back from Rimfire and slipped it on; she stood beside Throttle and stared at the wriggling thing.  
“Goblins.” Vinnie frowned, looking it up and down before turning to Midnight.  
“I thought goblins were green?”  
“Not unless you want to get sued by Marvel” replied Midnight, she shoved Throttle aside and leaned into the goblin’s face.  
“Good to see you again, Turok. Subtle as a sledgehammer as always. Who sent you?” The goblin snarled and tried to lash out with his hands; Midnight merely raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip. Turok gagged, just before he passed out completely Midnight released him and watched as the green lump slid to the floor.  
“The lady asked you a question, pal” growled Throttle. Midnight snapped her head around to look at the tan mouse; she’d never been called a lady before. There was unfamiliar warmth settling in her stomach, frowning, she shook it off.   
“Who sent you, Turok?” The goblin glared up at her for a moment before answering.  
“Whiteweb.” Midnight snarled, her eyes blazed and her fangs flashed in the dying light. She yanked the goblin to her and sank her fangs into his neck, Turok squeaked and struggled but he was dead in seconds. Midnight spun around and dragged the body from the garage.  
“What the Hell just happened?” said Vinnie. Modo was looking a little pale beneath his grey fur and Throttle was just gaping after the vampire.  
“She just . . . Killed him. Like it was nothing” whispered Gen. Charley wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders and Rimfire squeezed her hand.  
“It was them or you.” Midnight returned to her spot in front of Gen and stared down at her with those swirling, golden eyes. Throttle stalked across the garage, he grabbed Midnight’s upper arm and spun her around to face him.  
“I don’t know how you do things where you’re from but round here we don’t just go around killing people” he snarled. Midnight raised an eyebrow and leaned in so their noses were almost touching. Throttle couldn’t smell her. It was a weird sensation, he didn’t exactly expect to smell a rotting corpse but he thought she’d smell of something. But there was just nothing.  
“Goblins aren’t people. They are nasty little creatures that do the bidding of anyone that pays them and they don’t quit untill the job is done, Soricel. There’ll be more.” They glared at eachother for a moment longer before Modo pulled his bro backwards, Midnight turned back to Gen, her face softening a little.  
“I didn’t mean to upset you. There’s no reasoning with goblins. I apologise.” Gen looked up at her, the girl’s face was so pale she was almost transparent but she managed a slight smile.  
“What’s a Whiteweb?” asked Charley, pulling her goddaughter closer. Midnight moved across to the wall and pushed the button that lowered the shutters to the garage.   
“Do you mind if we sit? Goblins always make me feel queasy” asked Midnight. Rimfire cleared his throat.  
“We can go upstairs. Charley has sofas.”  
“Lead the way, baiatul.”   
They headed up to the apartment above the garage. On the left was a small kitchen with a table and chairs, a bed lay on the other side and two huge overstuffed sofas dominated the meagre living space in front of the TV. Charley, Gen and Rimfire sat on one with Vinnie perching on the arm nearest Charley. Midnight once again raised an eyebrow but said nothing, something was going on there. She wondered if either of them actually realised. Modo leaned against the wall while Throttle sat on the other sofa.  
“So, what’s a Whiteweb?” asked Rimfire, his hand still clasped in Gen’s.   
“Straight to the point, baiatul. Always the best way” replied Midnight. She removed her duster and hung it from a peg on the wall.  
“You called me that before. What does it mean?”  
“It better not be anything bad” growled Modo, his eye glowing red. Midnight sat next to Throttle on the sofa and crossed her legs, her PVC outfit creaking with every slight move.  
“Ah. I apologise, sometimes I slip into the old tongue without realising. It simply means Boy.”  
“What?! I’m not a boy! I’m 17!” cried Rimfire. Modo’s eye stopped glowing and he actually chuckled. Midnight lifted an eyebrow and raised her hands in a ‘whoops’ gesture. Throttle rubbed the bridge of his snout under his field glasses.  
“What’s a Whiteweb?” he growled. Midnight stared at him for a moment before folding her hands in her lap and beginning.  
“Whiteweb is another Court. It’s only a few hundred years old. It’s full of thieves and murderers, the worst of the world. Their Liderul . . . Sorry, Leader is Edgar, he’s not even 200 yet but you don’t last long in that Court. He’s a cruel, power hungry imbecile. He is Alungat.” Midnight paused at the sea of blank faces and made a mental note to try and leave off the Romanian.  
“He was banished from Blackwing by Riordan. He turns people with uncontrollable abilities, whether they want to join his Court or not. Edgar has visions of the future and he says a war is coming and only the most powerful Court will survive. Riordan believes him about the war but that we should all work together or we will all die. The goblins won’t be the only one’s he sends; there are others out there.”   
The room fell silent. Gen was trembling so much that Charley could feel the sofa shuffling beneath her. Rimfire gripped the girl’s hand in his and stared at Modo as if his uncle had all the answers. Midnight looked from one to the other; the stench of fear was becoming almost unbearable.  
“I will protect you. The request came from Riordan; I cannot ignore him or the needs of my Court. Untill you are 18 and make your decision, I will protect you. This I swear” she said. Gen stared at the vampire a moment longer before giving a tentative smile, knowing Midnight was going to protect her made her feel so much better. Even if she was a killing machine. Gen took a deep, shaky breath and nodded.  
“Okay. So, what happens now?” All eyes turned to Midnight. The vampire stood and walked to the window, she stared out into the shadows. There was nothing out there. For now. She sighed and turned back to the room.  
“I can perform a ritual that will stop any supernatural beings from entering these premises without permission – “  
“How did you just walk in? I thought vampires had to be invited too?” interrupted Charley. Midnight, once again, raised her eyebrow; a habit that Throttle was finding incredibly endearing.  
“A garage is a public space. You welcome the general public; it’s only private dwellings that require an invite. After the ritual we need to start training.” Gen frowned.  
“Training?”  
“We need to develop your abilities –.”  
“No! I can’t . . . I . . . People get hurt” cried Gen, she hung her head and bit her lip. Midnight was suddenly crouched in front of her; those swirling golden eyes almost seemed to smile on their own.  
“That’s why I’m here, to help you.” Gen gulped, she gave a miniscule nod and was rewarded with the tiniest twitch of Midnight’s lips. The ice blonde stood and pulled her coat on again.  
“I’ll do the ritual now. You should get some sleep. Training starts tomorrow.” She turned and vanished.  
“How does she do that?” said Vinnie, tightening his grip on Charley. Throttle stood and went to the window, he could just make out Midnight moving around outside. She was frighteningly fast, zipping around like a humming bird. He swallowed the weird feelings that had begun to surface. Yeah, she was attractive. Well, smoking fuckin’ hot would be closer to it! An image of Carbine floated unbidden into his mind, Throttle shook his head and turned back to the room.  
“Don’t worry, kid. She’ll protect you from the monsters and we’ll protect you from her” he said, pushing the field glasses higher on his snout. Gen laughed, she settled back into the chair. This was gonna be one weird visit.


	4. Rancid Grease

Midnight walked around the garage with her arms outstretched, palms up. When she reached her starting point, she used the sharpened nails on her thumbs to open the veins on her wrists. She turned and walked back around the garage in the opposite direction, this time with her palms down so her blood oozed onto the cracked concrete. Words more ancient then civilisation itself flowed from her lips as the blood sizzled on the ground. When Midnight had completed her second circle, she threw her hands up to the moon.  
“As above, so below. Vraja se arunca!” A bright blue light flashed around the garage, when Midnight turned there were three stone gargoyles perched on the roof. They opened their wings and stood up on their rear legs before bending forward in an awkward bow. Midnight lifted the corners of her duster and performed a deep curtsey.  
“What are you doing?” Charley emerged from the shadows, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the blood on the vampire’s hands.  
“Are you hurt?”  
“No. Even if I was, it wouldn’t last long. See?” Midnight held out her hands, the slices across her wrists were already closing, the blood on her hands moving back into her cold veins. Charley gulped and turned a little green before moving away. Midnight raised an eyebrow; she glanced at the gargoyles now sitting motionless on the roof. Charley followed her gaze and frowned.  
“What are they and why are they on my roof? This ain’t Notre Dame.”  
“Gargoyles. They are part of my protection spell. They come alive at night and turn to stone during the day but when evil approaches they scream.”  
“Coulda done with one of those in high school” muttered Charley. Midnight followed the human inside and watched as she locked the garage and set the alarms. Satisfied, they headed back upstairs to join the others.  
“Gen and I will take the bed. You boys can fight over the sofas. I don’t know where you want to sleep” said Charley; she manoeuvred Gen towards the bathroom to get changed while Vinnie claimed one sofa and Rimfire offered the other before settling on it himself.  
“I don’t sleep. I’ll stay by the window. The gargoyles will alert us if needs be.”  
“Gargoyles? What – Ah, forget it. I’m too tired” cried Vinnie, he threw himself backwards onto the sofa and closed his eyes. Charley lingered for a moment, just looking at him before a slight smile lit her face and she followed Gen to the bathroom.  
Midnight stared out of the window into the darkness, nothing moved but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything out there. She slipped out of her duster and laid it over a chair, her eyes never leaving the alleyway opposite. The goblins bothered her. Midnight regretted killing Turok but she hadn’t really been thinking straight, the rage had been too strong. The nerve of those Whitewebs! How dare they send goblins to kill the Ales Unul of The Blackwing Court? Midnight frowned, her eyes flashing yellow. How the Hell had they found out about the girl so fast? Riordan was right. Blackwing had a traitor and they would pay.   
A weird looking dune buggy screamed past the garage. A guy in blue dungarees ad a red hat covered in oil was driving. Midnight could smell him even from that distance and with the window closed. Rancid grease and sweat. A board creaked but Midnight didn’t turn, she had seen Throttle moving in the reflection of the window. He peered over her shoulder at the buggy flying past.  
“Friend of yours?” she asked. Throttle snorted.  
“Something like that. If he’s here then we’ve got trouble.” Midnight raised an eyebrow; she stood up straight and almost collided with Throttle as she turned away from the window. He looked down at her, his face unreadable behind the field specs.   
“Can I help you with something?” she asked, flicking the blue strands from her face.  
“I hope so” replied Throttle. Suddenly his lips were on hers, Midnight stiffened as his arms went around her waist. She placed her hands on his chest but couldn’t decide whether to push him away or pull him closer. A sudden explosion from outside rocked the garage, throwing them apart.  
“What the Hell was that?” cried Vinnie, scrambling to his feet from where he had been thrown to the floor. Charley stepped between Throttle and Midnight; she peered out the window and spotted the flames a few streets away.  
“It’s gotta be the Big Cheese. We just saw Greasepit go past” said Throttle, pointedly not looking at Midnight.  
“Then what are we waiting for, bro? Let’s go put the Big Cheese through a grater! AOOOW!” shrieked Vinnie; he vanished downstairs with Modo hot on his tail. Throttle hesitated for a moment before pulling on his jeans and following them down to the bikes.   
“Are you going too?” asked Charley. Midnight shrugged.  
“Might as well. If the gargoyles scream call me.” Midnight lifted the window and swung her legs over the edge.  
“How do we call you?” asked Gen. Midnight raised an eyebrow and tapped the side of her head, Genevieve swallowed and nodded. The vampire dropped from the ledge and landed as gracefully as a cat before taking off at a run.  
“She kinda scares me” said Rimfire, watching the blonde keeping up with the three Martian bikes on foot.  
“That’s probably a good thing” said Charley, she closed the window and ushered the two teenagers back to the sofas. Genevieve sat down and yawned, a sudden pain in her neck made her yelp. She raised her hand and pulled a dart from her flesh. The world began to swim, she tried to call out but couldn’t. Gen was dimly aware of the sounds of a struggle, Charley screamed. Something broke. A shadow crossed her vision and with the shadow came a smell. Rancid grease.


	5. The Ol' Divide and Conquer

Throttle tried to concentrate. What the Hell had just happened? He’d kissed Midnight. Why had he kissed Midnight? Throttle shook his head and caught sight of a blur beside him; he turned and gaped as Midnight bounded across the walls of the buildings on all fours. She was easily keeping up with the three Martian bikes and didn’t even seem to be breaking a sweat. Midnight glanced at him before turning her attention back to where she was going.  
“There it is bro." Modo’s voice floated over the airwaves in Throttle’s helmet. The building in question looked abandoned; the fire department was already in attendance as flames licked around the windows. The mice pulled up next to a little crowd of onlookers.  
“Hey Citizen. What happened?” asked Vinnie, addressing a woman jogger in tight Lycra.  
“What does it look like? Someone firebombed an empty building. I hate this city.” The jogger sniffed and turned back to the show. Throttle frowned.  
“Why would Greasepit burn down an empty building?”  
“To get us outta the way! Damn that slimy jackass!” snarled Vinnie, he pounded his left fist into his right palm. Midnight suddenly appeared beside Throttle.  
“What’s the problem?”  
“We gotta get back to the garage m’am. We think Stink Cheese pulled the ol’ divide and conquer on us!” said Modo, his good eye glowing red in the darkness.  
Midnight raised an eyebrow and sighed.  
“Alright. I’ll meet you there.” She vanished as if she had never been.  
“How the Hell does she do that?” wailed Vinnie as they spun their bikes and hauled tail to The Last Chance Garage.  
Midnight looked up at the gargoyles as she entered the building; they were still on guard and watched her as she crossed the threshold. She took a deep breath and recognized the odour of grease from earlier, only now it was much stronger. Midnight headed upstairs and paused in the doorway. The smell was almost overpowering up here so she stopped breathing as she didn’t really need to. She reached out with her mind but found nothing, the girl wasn’t here. The sound of pounding feet made her turn; the bros were rushing towards her.  
“They’re gone. You know that smell. Who took Genevieve?” asked Midnight. Modo glanced at Throttle; he walked over to the window and pointed at a large cream building visible in the distance.  
“Limburger. That Plutarkian scum took ‘em. If he’s hurt my nephew - .”  
“– Or Charley girl –” growled Vinnie.  
“We’ll get ‘em back, bros. We always do” finished Throttle. Midnight stared at the building and raised an eyebrow.   
“And here I was thinking this was gonna be an easy job. Let’s go.” Midnight turned away from the window, they were half way across the room when an unearthly howl split the air. It was followed by another and then a third, Midnight looked up at the ceiling, her eyebrow lifting a little higher.  
“More company.” She turned and gave the three mice a small bow before sauntering from the room. Midnight led the way downstairs and towards the entrance to the garage. The gargoyles continued to scream but now they paced around the building, driving back the two familiar vampires that were trying to get in.  
“Friends of yours, sweetheart?” asked Vinnie, watching as the two vampires bared their fangs at the gargoyles only to be shoved backwards. Midnight sighed; she laid a hand on Throttle’s muscular arm. The feel of warm flesh under her palm would have made the blood rush in her ears had it been flowing.  
“Stay inside.” Midnight strode from the garage, stopping just behind the line the gargoyles were pacing.  
“Hello ladies” she purred. The two females snarled but didn’t come any closer. The girl on the left was dressed in a calf length black skirt with a frill around the bottom and a black top with a white bib around the neck. Her dark hair was piled up on top of her head in a curly bun. The girl on the right was the complete opposite. The dark haired girl was demure and almost 18th Century in her dress but the other had obviously decided to join the 21st Century. Long shapely legs clad in tan stockings below a red checked mini skirt and a chocolate brown corset, her plum curls were pulled up into pig tails on either side of her face.  
“What took you so long?” asked Midnight, folding her arms across her chest. The two girls looked at eachother, they had been twins when alive and death hadn’t changed that. The dark haired vampire, Fleur, vanished in a flash of light and suddenly appeared in front of Midnight, her blue eyes smiled.  
“We had to be sure. Of course the gargoyles are a dead giveaway, Midnight. I thought you’d be more subtle.”  
“A lecture on subtlety from the Court that sends goblins to do their dirty work. Don’t make me laugh, my skin will crack!” snorted Midnight. Fleur turned to her sister, Mia wiggled her way forward on her heels.   
“You know we don’t make those decisions” she said, her voice a low and dangerous purr. Her pink eyes flicked over Midnight’s shoulder and she smiled.  
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friends?” Midnight turned, Vinnie, Throttle and Modo had stepped up to the edge of the garage.  
“You alright, babe?” called Throttle. Midnight raised that popular eyebrow at ‘babe’ but said nothing. She turned back to the twins.  
“I have things to do. Excuse me.” Midnight bowed and spun on her heel.  
“Don’t you turn your back on me you little bitch!” screamed Mia. Midnight slowly turned, she tipped her head to one side and waited. Mia’s eyes blazed red and her fangs flashed in the moonlight.  
“Mia! You can’t speak to an elder like that! The Book of Vampir says -” began Fleur, Mia turned to her sister and snarled. Mia shrieked as her skirt suddenly ignited in blue flames, she dropped to the ground and rolled untill the fire was out.  
“What the Hell was that?” cried Vinnie, he took a step forward but Modo dragged him back.  
“You shouldn’t pick on your sister” said Midnight, her voice was almost bored. Mia hissed at her, Midnight didn’t have time for this crap. Her eyes turned from a swirling gold to a snapping amber, vines snaked their way out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Mia and Fleur. Both girls yelped as they were dragged under the dirt before they realized what had happened. The vines vanished underground and the night was suddenly silent again.  
“We have to get Genevieve before they dig their way out” said Midnight. She sent the gargoyles back onto the roof and walked back towards the gaping mice.  
“Uh, m’am, what just happened?” asked Modo. Midnight sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, unconsciously echoing Throttle as he did the same thing.  
“Mia and Fleur are Whiteweb. They’re twins and died together. Fleur is actually okay, she remembers mercy. Mia, on the other hand, feels I betrayed her because Edgar wants me for his Lubita” explained Midnight. Throttle frowned.  
“Lubita?”  
“His beloved, although I doubt he remembers what the word means in terms of basic human emotion. Shall we go and get them back or do you have more questions?” The three mice shook their heads and climbed onto their bikes, Throttle held out a hand to her.  
“Wanna ride with me, babe? I can’t see those heels being very comfy for running” he said, raising his own eyebrow and smiling. Midnight swore that, just for a moment, the chunk of meat in her chest actually fluttered. She took his warm, furry hand and swung her leg over the bike, ignoring the questioning looks from Modo and Vinnie.  
“Okay bros, let’s rock!”  
“AND RIDE!”


	6. Stuck in a Box

Gen groaned and opened her eyes. She lifted her head and looked around. She appeared to be in a lab and strapped to a table.  
“What in the Holy Hell?”   
“Gen? You okay?” She turned and managed a small smile, Rimfire was tied down to a table on her right and Charley was tied to a table on her left.   
“I’m okay. What about Charley?”  
“She’s still out cold.”  
“Where are we?” Rimfire looked around, his face growing worried. Before he could answer, a high pitched cackle sounded across the room. Gen twisted as much as possible and felt the blood freeze in her veins, a stooped man with a bulbous head and goggles was coming towards them, rubbing his black gloved hands.  
“Well, you’re awake my test subjects! We can begin!”  
“Test subjects?” whispered Gen, she looked over at Rimfire and swallowed. A huge guy in greasy overalls and a red cap suddenly yanked Gen from the table and pushed her across the room. Rimfire struggled against his bonds but it was no good.  
“Get your oily hands off her greasepig!” he snarled. Gen was dropped into a clear box on the other side of the room and Greasepit slid the top shut.  
“Duh, youse be quiet now mousey or your little girlyfriend is gonna get it.” Gen beat on the glass with her feet and then her fists but it didn’t make any difference. She couldn’t hear what Greasepit or Karbunckle were saying but, going by the look on Rimfire’s face, it wasn’t good.   
“Shit” she muttered. There was a sudden buzzing that turned to a low hum. Gen blinked, the hum seemed to be in her head. It was almost as if something was in her mind, squeezing it like a piece of fruit. Gen shook her head but the sensation grew stronger, she clapped her hands to her ears as a sudden scream exploded in her head, images flashed across the inside of her eyelids as the scream grew louder –   
-Her mother bent over the body of her brother, his ears bleeding-  
-Gen’s best friend, Hannah, her face twisted in anger as Gen tells her that Jeff is a liar-  
-Nobody wants to sit with me at school; I know things about people without talking to them-  
-FREAK-  
Gen pounded her fists against her temples, shrieking as all the people she had hurt with her power flashed before her mind’s eye. She hadn’t meant to hurt her brother but he had threatened to kill her cat and she was mad! Without even realising what she had been doing, Gen had taken all her hurt and anger and thrown it back at him causing an embolism in his brain. And Hannah had asked for Gen’s opinion on Jeff but apparently she didn’t want to know the truth. They didn’t speak anymore. Nobody wanted to talk to Gen, nobody wanted to be friends. She had nobody; even Charley was hurt because of her. Gen was all alone, completely al –  
You’re not alone, Ales Unul. Not anymore.   
The voice spoke from the centre of Gen’s head, the scream faded and the pictures stopped. Gen opened her eyes and stared, opened mouthed, as three Martian bikes smashed through the ceiling and skidded to a stop in front of the examination tables.

 

Rimfire struggled against his bonds but he couldn’t break them, he couldn’t even twist his tail around enough to pick the lock. He watched as Karbunckle switched on a nasty looking machine, Gen looked a little bewildered and then the colour drained from her face.  
“What are you doing you twisted son of a bitch?!” shrieked Rimfire. A deeper voice floated across the room, silky and terrible at the same time.  
“So glad you can be awake to witness this, dear boy.” Lawrence Limburger stepped from the shadows, his white gloved hands clasped in front of his large stomach.  
“Witness what, you reeking cheese rind?” spat Rimfire, he glanced at Charley but the human was still out cold. Limburger smiled a particularly nasty smile and sauntered over to Karbunckle, peering down at the dials on the doctor’s machine.   
“Your little friend over there is an empath. She can read other people’s emotions; obviously she’s not going to work for the Plutarkians willingly so we are going to suck the ability out of her. Of course she will die when her head explodes but the box will contain the mess.” Rimfire gaped; a muffled thudding sound bought his attention back to the clear box. Gen was beating her temples and slamming her head against the walls of her prison, her mouth twisted in a scream he could only just hear.   
“Let her go or I’ll - .”  
“Or you’ll what, dear boy? I don’t think you’re in any position to be giving orders.” Limburger’s smiled faded as the sound of breaking glass and motorcycle engines reached him from the room above.  
“Oh dear. Can’t they leave me alone, just this once?” With those words, the ceiling suddenly caved in under laser fire and The Biker Mice skidded to a halt in front of Limburger.


	7. No Need to Breathe

Midnight had felt Genevieve’s terror and her pain as they had crashed into the office, her sharpened nails dug into Throttle’s side as the feelings threatened to overwhelm her. Then, just as suddenly they were gone, to be replaced by emptiness like nothing Midnight had ever known before. It had been so long since she’d had any contact with a powerful empath that she’d almost forgotten what it was like. A tear actually slid down her cheek, the girl was so scared and alone. Nobody had ever taught her how to use her gift, let alone control it. They just shunned her and called her a freak. Midnight snarled. She knew that feeling all too well. Mastering what little telepathic skill she had, Midnight closed her eyes and tried to send a little comfort the girls’ way. Her eyes snapped open as a loud explosion almost threw her from the bike, Throttle wrapped his tail around her waist as the floor crumbled and they dropped into what looked like a lab.   
“Charley!” cried Vinnie, the human stirred but didn’t open her eyes. Modo grabbed the white mouse by his tail and yanked him back when Greasepit put a weird looking gun to the unconscious woman’s head. Midnight swung her leg off the back of the bike and stood beside Throttle, the smell of rancid grease had been joined by something else. Something cheesy and fishy and rotten. She stopped breathing and decided to stay that way while in town. Chicago was starting to stink! A fat man in a purple suit was standing next to a little hunched creature in a white lab coat; beside them was what looked like a plastic box with Genevieve inside it. In any other situation, Midnight would simply walk across the room, remove the girl and take her home before anyone realized the vampire had even moved.   
But she didn’t think that would work. The girl would never join Blackwing if Midnight allowed her godmother or her friends to be hurt. Her attention was returned to the three mice as they traded insults with the fat man and the creepy little thing with the bulbous head.   
“Let them go, sewage breath” growled Modo, his eye glowed a bright and fiery red.   
“Oh my dear muscle bound miscreants, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”  
“We ain’t giving you a choice –” began Throttle. Midnight rolled her eyes, suddenly bored of the male posturing.  
“I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced. I’m Midnight and you are?” The vampire walked across the room, her hand outstretched. Limburger glanced at the hand and felt something icy grip his insides. The nails were sharpened to long points and there was something about the way she moved, it was almost feline in its grace but he sensed the startling power behind it. Reluctantly, Limburger extended his own hand and gasped as it was almost crushed in a vice like grip.   
“Lawrence Limburger. You’re not human” he said, suddenly regaining his wits. Midnight’s eyes flashed a bright yellow, her fangs extended and she shoved the fat man against the wall.  
“Straight to the point, I like that in a meal” she snarled, her left arm pushed up under his many chins while her right suddenly whipped out and pointed a laser pistol at the greasy thug across the room. Throttle’s hand went to his belt, his gun was gone. How the Hell had she done that?   
“I need you to release the girl. Now” said Midnight, she leaned in close to Limburger and ran her tongue along her fangs. The fleshy fish gulped but still shook his head.  
“We need her on Plutark and besides, I don’t think you or your furry friends are in any position to be giving orders” he smiled. A choked gasp made Midnight turned, Greasepit had yanked Charley up and was holding her in a choke hold with the gun placed against her temple. Another goon had twisted Rimfire’s arms behind his back and stomped on his tail before holding a knife to his throat. Midnight raised an eyebrow, she was about to speak when her sensitive ears picked out another sound. She allowed her features to return to normal before taking a step back and performing a small bow before returning to her place at Throttle’s side.  
“What was that supposed to do?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. Midnight leaned into his face, a small smile trying to surface on her lips but the muscles didn’t seem sure how to continue.  
“Buy us time, Soricel.” The tan mouse was about to reply when the wall suddenly exploded and pandemonium entered.


	8. Almost a Rescue

Gen could only hear muffled sounds from within the box but at least the screaming in her head had stopped. She didn’t know what the vampire had done but there seemed to be some kind of barrier in place that stopped the hum from getting through. Gen gasped as Midnight suddenly had Limburger pinned to a wall, her fangs gleaming and her yellow eyes flashing.   
“Get down, Ales Unul. Help is coming.” Once again the voice spoke from the centre of her head, but the voice wasn’t Midnight’s. This one was smooth and soothing but somehow terrifying at the same time. Gen backed into a corner of the box and curled into a ball as the whole wall suddenly exploded and more people rushed in.  
“Fuck a duck” she breathed. People probably wasn’t the best word, these were more vampires. Two girls covered in mud bounded across the room and threw themselves at Midnight. Another vampire, this one male, strode through the gap in the wall and sauntered across to where she cowered in her box. He was tall and lanky, his limbs almost seeming too long for his body, and his brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. The eyes that crinkled as he smiled down at gen were a striking bright blue; he wore black trousers, a white shirt with ruffles at the neck and a beige tweed jacket. He pulled his right hand back and simply punched through the top of the box, ripping the lid off as he pulled back.   
“My name is Andrew of The Whiteweb Court. Let me help you.” Andrew held out his hand, Gen hesitated. She didn’t want to go with anyone from Whiteweb, Midnight said they would hurt her but a voice in her head kept telling her that he seemed okay. She gripped his hand and allowed herself to be helped out of the tank.

 

When the wall exploded, the three mice were almost thrown from their bikes but Midnight simply turned towards the huge hole. A feral grin spread across her face as Mia and Fleur threw themselves at her. Midnight grabbed each girl by the throat and spun around, slamming them into the ground.   
“I’m gonna rip your fucking face off!” roared Mia, her hands clawed at Midnight’s neck but the older vampire was too fast. Midnight laughed and rammed her fist into Mia’s nose, blood exploded across her face but it didn’t slow her down. Midnight threw Fleur to one side and Mia into the nearest wall.   
“Modo! Get Gen and Rimfire!” Midnight glanced behind her as Throttle barked orders at his bros; Modo sped across the lab and rammed his front tyre into Andrew’s back. She was surprised to see him here, at a mere 111 years old he was still a child compared to her. She raised her eyebrow; Edgar must be getting desperate if he’s willing to send the kids out after her.   
“You need to watch your language, copil. You’ll teach your sister bad habits” hissed Midnight. She tangled her fingers in Mia’s hair and yanked her up so they were face to face.   
“Tell Edgar to watch his back because he’s going to find me chewing on it” said Midnight, she dragged the squirming girl across the lab and shoved her through the nearest wall. The icy blonde spun on her heel and launched herself across the room, snagging a sharp wooden stick from a fallen beam. She shoved Fleur to the ground and lifted the stake high above her head.  
“Midnight! We were friends!” shrieked Fleur. Midnight hesitated for a moment but that was enough, suddenly Fleur vanished in a bolt of blue light.   
“Son of a whore!” screamed Midnight. She jumped to her feet and threw the stake across the room; it hit Limburger in the thigh just as he was running for the elevator. The fat fish screamed and stumbled.  
“Nice shot Sweetheart!” whooped Vinnie, he wrapped his tail around Charley’s waist and lifted the dazed woman onto the bike in front of him. Modo swung his leg up and over his bike; he was across the lab in four strides and pulled Limburger up by his lapels.   
“Listen here stink face, if you ever come after Rimfire and Gen again I’m gonna kill ya. Understand?!” he roared, his eye glowing a deep crimson. The Plutarkian nodded but Modo still drove his fist into the fat face, grimacing as teeth dislodged. Throttle pulled Modo away before he went too far.  
“Where’s Gen?” said Charley, struggling to lift her head. Throttle looked around just in time to see a man ram a wooden stake into Midnight’s chest.


	9. Dust and Apologies

Midnight left the macho mice to deal with the slimy fish, her job was the girl. Genevieve was holding Andrew’s hand, her face blank and dreamy as he smiled down at her. Midnight raised an eyebrow and suddenly she was standing right behind him.  
“Hello Andrew” she said, he turned and she planted her fist in his face. Andrew fell backwards and smashed his head on the floor, Gen blinked and looked at Midnight like she didn’t know who the vampire was.  
“Time to leave” said Midnight. She grabbed Gen’s hand and dragged her away from the fallen male. A hand suddenly grabbed her ankle and yanked, Midnight yelped and fell forward, bringing her hands up to cushion the fall. She felt the bones crunch and winced, that was gonna hurt in the morning.  
“Run!” she said, her voice low and guttural. Gen hesitated a moment before taking to her heels and crossing the room to where her godmother was. Midnight was flipped onto her back.  
“This takes me back, what are you -?” her mocking words were cut off as she looked up into Andrew’s face. His eyes were a deep blue, the snarl on his lips making his usually fine features twist into something more demonic.   
“I’m sorry, Midnight. But you’ve stood in our way for too long.” He raised his hand and bought down the stake before Midnight could fully register what was happening. The tip pushed through her chest before she managed to get her hands up, she wrapped them around his and pushed as hard as she could but she couldn’t get enough leverage to shove him away. Midnight was dimly aware that someone had screamed her name from across the lab, her eyes swirled golden before snapping to yellow.  
“You think I lasted this long without learning a few tricks? Try this one on for size.” Midnight shifted slightly and let go of Andrew’s hands. She gasped as the stake sank into her chest and hit the floor beneath. Andrew jumped off her and stared in total shock, he had just staked one of the Elders. He scrambled to his feet and just managed to duck a glowing punch from Throttle’s nuke nucks.   
“What the fuck did you do, you son of a bitch!?” he cried. Suddenly angry that he had missed Midnight turning to dust, Andrew swung his own fist at the tan mouse and laughed as the rodent flew across the room.  
“Nobody hits our bro” growled Modo. Before he could even get off his bike, Andrew grabbed his metal arm and spun the 7 foot mouse over his head like he weighed nothing. Modo was tossed across the lab and knocked Throttle off his feet to be closely followed by a squirming Vinnie. Andrew turned to Charley and Gen, his features becoming more human before he held his hands out to them.  
“Come with me, Ales Unul. You can both come into Whiteweb and be together forever.” Gen gripped Charley’s hand, her gaze drifted past Andrew to the prone shape on the floor. She’d actually kinda liked Midnight, the vampire had made her feel safe but Andrew sorta creeped her out. Shouldn’t she have turned to dust by now? Gen shook her head, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt Rimfire’s furred chest against her back, his arm looping around her waist.   
“I wasn’t giving you a choice” said Andrew, he took a step forward but stopped. A deep, throaty laugh echoed around the lab. All eyes turned to Modo for a moment but he was looking as stunned as everyone else. Andrew slowly turned, his face going slack in surprise as Midnight leaned against the back wall. She was laughing, the piece of wood still sticking out of her chest.   
“What? How?” stammered Andrew. Midnight stopped laughing, her face suddenly smooth as if she were made of marble. She strode forward, pulled the stake from her chest and buried it in Andrew’s heart. He screamed and dropped to his knees.   
“I’m sorry, copil. But you know the law. You should’ve worked on your aim.” Andrew stared up at her; he suddenly froze as his skin cracked like leather and then he exploded into dust, the stake clattering onto the floor.


	10. The End is Just the Beginning

Throttle was across the room in two bounds, his hand gently touched Midnight’s shoulder. Her head snapped around, her eyes still glowing yellow and a snarl on her lips.   
“Friend of yours?” he asked, trying hard not to take a step backwards. Her eyes returned to a swirling gold and her fangs receded, Midnight swallowed and looked down at the pile of dust on the floor at her feet.   
“Andrew. He was young. Edgar should’ve known better then to send a child to me.”  
“A child?” asked Gen, sounding confused.  
“Only 111. A child compared to me at least.” Midnight turned and straightened her coat. The lab was in ruins, the mad doctor and the fat fish had made a run for it. The twins were gone, probably running back to Edgar to tell him what the big bad Midnight did to their baby boy. She managed a small smile before settling her gaze on Genevieve.  
“Well?” The girl blinked and rubbed her temples.  
“That hurt, but you did something to make it stop.”  
“A mental block. Learning how to do that is part of the training. But it’s up to you” said Midnight. Gen looked at Charley; the older woman was leaning on Vinnie and looked as if she were trying to stay awake. Rimfire placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.  
“It might be helpful and it’s not like you have to join the Court at the end of it. Midnight said so herself.”  
“Is everyday gonna be like this?” she asked, Midnight uttered one of her throaty laughs.   
“Maybe not this bad. I’ll be here with you” she said. Gen stared at the floor for a moment. She didn’t want to go home, back to everyone that made fun of her and all the people that hated her.   
“Will you stay with me?” she whispered. Rimfire dropped his eyes for a moment.  
“I’ll stay as long as General Carbine lets me.” Gen nodded, she couldn’t ask for much more than that.  
“Hey sweetheart! We gotta blow this pop stand!” cried Vinnie, he swung Charley onto the bike and gunned the engine. Modo laughed as he climbed onto Lil Hoss.  
“Trust Vinnie to break the moment. Come on kids!”   
“I’m not a kid!” called Rimfire and Gen as they swung onto the seat.   
“Wanna ride with me again babe?” said Throttle. His heart was still thumping but he wasn’t sure why. The idea of losing Midnight just when he’d found her was terrifying him. But Carbine was still floating around his mind and he didn’t know what to do but, one thing at a time. Midnight climbed onto the back of his bike, she gave off no body heat but she was a comforting lump behind him.  
As they headed back to The Last Chance Garage, destroying the tower with Vinnie whooping all the way, Midnight considered the weird direction her unlife was taking. It was supposed to be a simple job, protect the kid and bring her to the Court. Midnight sighed. Oh well, at least it was something to pass the time. She wrapped her arms around Throttle’s waist a little tighter, raising her eyebrow as the muscles in his stomach jumped under her hands. Maybe she had more than one reason to stick around.


End file.
